


and you would be my king

by Rethira



Category: Kamen Rider OOO
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-07 00:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1878075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rethira/pseuds/Rethira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At first, Ankh doesn’t recognise him. They don’t look particularly alike, and there’s no real sense of familiarity, not like there is with the other Greeed.</p>
<p>But one day, Eiji turns and tilts his head, and a sense of dread hits Ankh like one of Mezul’s tsunami. Eiji’s eyes turn cold for a moment, a second, and Ankh <i>knows</i> him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and you would be my king

**Author's Note:**

> thanks atan for giving me this prompt in the first place
> 
> spoilers through the entire series

At first, Ankh doesn’t recognise him. They don’t look particularly alike, and there’s no real sense of familiarity, not like there is with the other Greeed.

But one day, Eiji turns and tilts his head, and a sense of dread hits Ankh like one of Mezul’s tsunami. Eiji’s eyes turn cold for a moment, a second, and Ankh _knows_ him.

Anger wells up. _Fury_.

And Eiji smiles and his eyes dance with warmth and he says, “I got you more ice, Ankh,” and holds out two ice sticks.

He was mistaken. He has to have been. There’s no way an idiot like Eiji could be- there’s just no way. He must have just seen something that wasn’t there. He’s not used to these human eyes. That has to have been it.

Except that it keeps happening. Not often - but he knows to look now, and sometimes he’ll see it. And it’s not just him, he discovers. Cazali does- he flinches once, and when Ankh looks, Eiji holds himself with all the bearing of that _King_ , Cazali’s stolen medals clutched in his hand.

“It can’t be,” Cazali murmurs, just before he flees.

And then Uva too; he staggers backwards, even though Eiji’s transformation has ended. Uva shakes his head, looking at Ankh and snaps, disgustedly, “I should have known.”

Eiji doesn’t seem to be aware of it. He’s still _Eiji_ \- an idiot obsessed with underwear, who never gives his own safety any thought. He’s still _Eiji_ , but he’s the King as well.

And one day he says, in a faraway voice, “Ankh, do you remember when we flew?” He smiles widely, but his eyes are still unfocused. “Ah, we flew so far and so high…. I’d like to do it again.”

Ankh smacks Eiji around the head and sends him off to get ice, but now he knows for sure.

Because he’s never flown with Eiji. His wings aren’t here with him. But once, long, long ago, he flew with the King.

 

After Eiji loses Uva’s Yummy, Kougami’s underling asks, “How did someone as irresponsible as you become Os?”

It’s enough to make Ankh laugh, especially when Eiji replies with some nonsense about protecting people.

The King had never been so noble.

 

It keeps happening. Eiji will pause in the middle of something and he’ll say, “Ankh, do you remember....?”

Cuffing his head gets him out of it. Sometimes shouting. Once or twice, there’s a convenient Yummy to chase, and Ankh can avoid the question. Once, and only once, Ankh says, “Ah. I remember.”

Eiji smiles, so widely it has to hurt, and his eyes are cold and black and they make Ankh want to run and run and never ever stop. Instead, he shoves past Eiji, making sure to knock his head on the way past.

“Ow!” Eiji cries. “What was that for? Ankh? Ankh?”

Ankh just says, “Ice,” over his shoulder and disappears downstairs. Cous Coussier is closed for the night and no-one’s there to see Ankh half collapse against the fridge, fingers shaking as he opens the door.

Greeed do not know what _fear_ is.

And yet, Ankh is afraid.

 

Eight hundred years ago, they had fought him. Their human, their creator. Their _god_ , in a sick way, even. He’d nurtured them for a handful of years and then, abruptly, turned on them. A scant few years to their centuries, but once, the King was all they had, and they had hesitated before him. Hesitated, and paid for it.

And now.

Now there is Hino Eiji.

Ankh had tried to kill the King once. He’d wrapped his talons around his throat, and tightened them until they bit into his flesh and drew blood. The King had looked at him, smiling, but his eyes had been blank. And then he’d said, “Let your desire run free, Ankh,” and Ankh had thrown him back and staggered away.

He’d regretted that.

He doesn’t know if he could go through with it now.

He doesn’t know if he wants to.

 

_Tajador_. His Medals – his Cores – used for Os. It rankles, just slightly, but Eiji wears them well. The King had never used them. The only time he’d had a full set of Ankh’s Cores had been right at the end, and he’d ripped them from Ankh’s body. He’d had Ankh’s stolen Cores, and now Eiji has them as well.

And soon, Ankh will have them back.

But first... he watches Eiji. He watches _Tajador_.

 

Eiji stops asking if Ankh remembers things, but sometimes- sometimes his eyes will go dark and cold and Ankh will be staring at the King again. It doesn’t happen so often, and when it does, Eiji will snap himself out of it. He’ll shake his head and his eyes will warm again and he’ll ask if Ankh wants to go out, or if he wants another ice.

One day he drags Ankh out, insisting he needs to get some more underwear or show Ankh how to _buy_ ice for himself – and he stresses that, you have to _buy_ it, Ankh, there’s a difference between _free_ and _stealing_ – but stops when they’re in the park they used to sleep in.

“Ankh?” he asks. “I... I need to ask you something.”

Ankh’s sure he knows what it is. He snaps, “What?”

Eiji goes silent for a very, very long time. He looks up at the sky. And then he says, “What’s your favourite flavour? Of ice?”

It’s so _Eiji_ that all the tension leaks out of Ankh. “They’re all fine,” he says. He points to a nearby cart. “Get me one.”

Eiji sighs loudly, but obediently goes to get some. He comes back with three and gives them all to Ankh.

 

It’s impossible. Impossible.

“Where am I?” the imposter asks. It looks at Eiji. “Who are you?”

Eiji looks up at Ankh, like Ankh will have any of the answers for this, and listens when Ankh orders, “Destroy it.”

 

Eiji has nightmares a lot. Ankh had watched him have them at first – humans are so strange. Their minds scare them. Their minds make them afraid. He’d never slept before possessing the detective’s body, so he’d never dreamt before, and those first few days after reviving, he hadn’t wanted to.

Sleep was darkness. Sleep was _choosing_ oblivion, and humans did it _every day_. But he could only force this body to stay awake for so long, and eventually he’d given in.

It hadn’t been so bad. He hadn’t dreamt, but even that hadn’t been bad, and when he woke up his body had felt refreshed and ready – and he could still watch Eiji sleep. Watch Eiji dream. Watch Eiji’s mind provide him with memories and terrors that made Eiji’s face scrunch up, and made Eiji’s body toss and turn and twist.

Now, Eiji’s nightmares are bad enough that they wake him up. He usually doesn’t say anything, just sits up, panting harshly, his heart pounding loud enough that Ankh can hear it. Eventually, he’ll turn over and go back to sleep.

But tonight, he wakes up with a cry and Ankh’s name on his lips. He scrambles out of his bed and claws the light on and only stops when he can see Ankh sitting up in his nest, scowling at him.

“What?” Ankh snaps.

Eiji swallows loudly. “I... I remembered. I- _he_ , ah. _He_ took your medals.” Ankh flinches, and Eiji starts forward, reaching for Ankh. “I’m sorry.” He staggers to a halt just in front of Ankh’s nest, and his hands drop to his sides.

“Idiot. You didn’t do anything,” Ankh replies.

Eiji nods, his hands clenching. “Even so, Ankh, I’m sorry.”

“Idiot,” Ankh repeats, rolling over.

 

“It’s strange,” Eiji comments. “I remember all these things – he did a lot, didn’t he? Your King?”

“He was never _mine_ ,” Ankh replies, but Eiji doesn’t seem to hear him.

“But I remember my life just as well as his.” He looks down at his hands. “I remember holding a sword – not Os’ sword, but a proper sword. I can remember how heavy it was, and how I lifted it anyway.”

“It wasn’t you,” Ankh says, nastily.

Eiji nods. “I know that. But I remember it like it was me. That’s why I was confused at first. A lot of what I remember doesn’t make sense.”

Ankh doesn’t ask what he remembers. But he doesn’t need to.

“You were so bright,” Eiji says, distantly. “So bright. Not like that other Ankh.”

“I will be again,” Ankh snaps. He’ll take his Core Medals back from that imposter, and then he’ll be _whole_.

Eiji smiles, bright and stupid and _nothing_ like the King at all.

 

The King had called him _beautiful_ , Ankh remembers. He’d called them all something, but Ankh had been _beautiful_.

That’s all Ankh can think about. Eiji’s lips are like parchment against his, and Ankh feels like lead weights are dragging him down, and their last conversation flits through his head and how did he never see this coming? How was he blind to this?

Ankh shoves Eiji away, staggering back against the wall and thinks, _the King said I was beautiful_.

“Ankh?” Eiji asks, fiddling with his stupid poncho, eyes wide.

“Never do that again,” Ankh snarls. He turns away before Eiji can reply, but not fast enough that he can’t see Eiji’s expression.

Greeed can’t feel sick, Ankh thinks. Greeed can’t feel like this.

_The King said I was beautiful_.

 

Eiji feels different after the purple Core Medals enter him. It’s a nagging sensation at the back of Ankh’s head – like something isn’t right. It’s like the sensation Ankh gets when that imposter’s around, and it makes this body tense and tremble, until Ankh can barely keep his ice cream down.

Eiji feels _wrong_.

Like Eiji isn’t Eiji anymore. Like Eiji’s becoming something else. Becoming _someone_ else.

Someone, Ankh is sure, who wouldn’t hesitate to use those purple Medals.

 

It’s enough to make Ankh laugh. Beaten by some _child_ \- his Cores guided by some scrap of _nothing_.

Beaten by his own body.

It’s enough to make him laugh.

 

He’ll never be whole again. He’ll never ever be whole again.

He should be angry. But it’s hard to be angry at Eiji, even now, and it’s difficult enough to maintain this body – Shingo’s body is so easy for the taking, and Ankh has it just how he likes it anyway, so he takes it back. Shingo makes a token protest, fights a little, but it’s all for nothing now.

Eiji tells him to give Shingo back, that he’ll _make_ Ankh leave Shingo if he has to and ah, there’s the anger. There it is; Ankh had missed it. And Eiji, well, Eiji doesn’t even know what he’s _done_.

This time... this time Ankh isn’t going to be betrayed. This time he’ll destroy Os before he can lose his cores – even more of his cores than he already has, because Eiji’s done what the King never did and _destroyed_ any hope Ankh had of being whole.

So this time.... This time Ankh is going to betray Eiji first.

 

The ice is cold and refreshing on his lips. Delicious. Being without this was unthinkable. Being just a pile of Medals was unthinkable.

“I’ve missed this,” Ankh says.

Everywhere he looks, there are memories. Hina and Chiyoko and... Eiji. Hina making him eat. Chiyoko patting his head and telling him everything would be okay. Hina giving him chocolate ice. Chiyoko putting that stupid hat on his head. Eiji asking him if Greeed could fall in love. Eiji getting him ice. Eiji eating beside him, talking about something stupid.

Eiji kissing him.

Hina comes in and Ankh says, “Let me have this body.”

He’s not surprised when she says, “No,” because humans don’t understand. They could never understand.

 

_Ankh... thank you_ , Eiji’d said.

He misses.

 

Having a cracked Core is like... like having a headache or a toothache. It’s persistent, this sort of scratching feeling. It doesn’t feel like being broken or breakable, no matter what Maki says.

It’s irritating, and only Ankh’s knowledge that he could crack at any moment keeps him calm. Probably Maki expects him to run away, hole up in a nest and wait out the inevitable. Expects Ankh to hide until his Core shatters into nothing, and Ankh turns back into useless Medals.

Hah.

Well, fuck that. If he’s going to die – and _Eiji_ had said that, _Eiji_ had said that Greeed could die – then he’s going to die like he “lived.”

Beside Eiji.

 

Before... well before the end. After Hina’s fallen asleep and Ankh’s finished his and Eiji’s ice cream, Eiji tugs Ankh a little away from where Hina’s sleeping. His hand is warm in Ankh’s, the palm just slightly rough, and Ankh is... glad. He gets to hold Eiji’s hand again.

Eiji looks earnestly into Ankh’s eyes and he says, “So. Tomorrow, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ankh agrees. Eiji hasn’t let go of his hand.

Eiji smiles. “I’m glad I got to see you again,” he murmurs. “Hey, Ankh? Can I?”

Ankh just lifts his chin – Eiji smiles and leans in, his eyes fluttering shut. His lips are soft and dry against Ankh’s, and they only press against his for a second or so, and then Eiji moves away, turning around.

“Thank you,” Eiji says, and Ankh knows a _goodbye_ when he hears one.

Eiji doesn’t think he’ll survive. He doesn’t think he’ll return.

And well, _fuck that_ , Ankh thinks, and his hand lashes out to grab Eiji’s shoulder. He gets to see wide eyes for a second, and then both their eyes are shut and Ankh is kissing Eiji like he _should_ be kissed. Eiji’s mouth falls open in surprise and Ankh takes advantage of it; he turns Eiji’s head until their mouths fit easily together, and it’s easy to fall into a rhythm and why hadn’t they been doing this earlier? Why had he pushed Eiji away before?

It takes Ankh a while, but eventually he recognises the taste of salt on Eiji’s lips and realises that Eiji is _crying_.

“Don’t,” Ankh hisses, “don’t you _dare_.”

Eiji laughs a sad little laugh and says, “Sorry, Ankh,” and rests his head on Ankh’s shoulder, faced tucked so close to Ankh’s neck that he can feel the little puffs of Eiji’s breath.

They stay like that until the sun rises.

 

It hurts to give up that last Core. It hurts, but it feels good at the same time.

Eiji gasps, “Ankh? Why?” He looks at the crack and smiles. “I get it. If that’s what you wanna do... It must be what you really want.” He snaps Ankh’s Cores into place, and looks at Ankh again, smiling. “Ankh... let’s go.”

_Ah_.

And then they fly.

 

They’re falling. It’s not something Ankh’s familiar with, but he doesn’t think he enjoys it, and Eiji’s picked a fine time for a nap.

“Eiji! Wake up!” Ankh orders. “You’re gonna die!”

Eiji blinks into wakefulness – he looks wide eyed for a second, gasping, “Ankh?!” But then he sighs and says, “Oh, it’s fine... I don’t think there’s much I can do about it. And besides, you’re....”

It’s like he thinks Ankh’s ‘life’ is more important than his own impending pancake-ness. “Don’t worry about me,” Ankh says. “I got what I wanted.”

“You mean life?” Eiji asks. “But if you die...”

“You’re right. Thanks to all of you, a pile of Medals like me can die.” He’d be smiling if he could. “I don’t think I could find anything more satisfying.” Eiji smiles. His eyes are wet. “Choosing you worked out for me, in the end. There’s no doubt about that.”

Eiji bits his lip and says, “Hey, Ankh? Remember when we flew together?”

“Ah.” How could Ankh forget?

“Let’s do it again,” Eiji continues, like he isn’t crying.

“Un,” Ankh says, moving away.

“Hey... where are you going?” Eiji asks, turning in the air and reaching for him. “We have to fly together, Ankh!”

Eiji never learns. “I’m not the hand you should be reaching for anymore,” he says.

_Goodbye_.

 

Hina’s running. Running for Eiji, probably, but she stops when she sees him.

No time for words this time.

He smiles. _Goodbye_.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

In his dream, Eiji screams, “I want to fly with Ankh!” His hand is bleeding, fat red drops falling from his hand and whipping away into the air. Of course the idiot would clutch something sharp. Of course the idiot would hurt himself.

In his dream, Hina says, “I want Eiji-kun, Onii-san _and_ Ankh to come home!” She’s bleeding too, blood dripping from her hand and staining the ground below red.

In his dream, the King laughs, mockingly, and says, “So, this is your desire, Ankh?”

In his dream, Ankh tilts his head back and looks up at the sky and says, “No. That was my dream.”

The King laughs again, still cruel, and says, “You always dreamt small, Ankh.”

Ankh remembers Eiji’s dream. The Yummy had pulled it out of him, and it had been large enough to blot out the sun. “Not really,” Ankh replies. “You always dreamt too big.”

The King sneers. “I never dreamt at all.”

It’s Ankh’s turn to laugh now. “Then you never lived.”

There are footsteps echoing now. Someone’s coming. The King doesn’t seem to notice. “I had more life than a Greeed. Even you. In the end, you were just a pile of Medals.”

The footsteps halt and another voice rings out. “No.” It’s Eiji. “Ankh was never just a pile of Medals.” He smiles, like the King never did. “Ankh is Ankh.”

“Idiot,” Ankh says.

The King snorts unkindly, and holds his hand out. “Come on, Ankh. We don’t have to stand here and listen to this prattle.”

Ankh stares at him levelly. The man who gave him his existence. The man who tried to take it away again. Behind him, Eiji waits patiently. Ankh turns and walks towards him, pausing only to take Eiji’s hand.

“No,” Ankh says, “I think I prefer this idiot’s prattle to yours.”

The King shouts a wordless sound of rage, but Ankh ignores it.

Eiji smiles. “Ankh... let’s go.”

Ankh nods, and they walk forward, into the world.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [And then they fly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9982166) by [Abygale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abygale/pseuds/Abygale)
  * [Aisu's stick](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10031831) by [Abygale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abygale/pseuds/Abygale)




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